Lewy body Dementia (LBD)

Lewy body Dementia News

Jackie Bezos, mother of Jeff Bezos and an early Amazon investor, passed away in Miami recently due to Lewy body dementia.

About Lewy body Dementia

• It is a complex and challenging brain disorder.
• It is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. 
• LBD is a disease associated with abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. 
  • These deposits, called Lewy bodies, affect chemicals in the brain. 
  • These changes, in turn, can lead to problems with thinking, movement, behavior, mood, and other body functions.
• There are two forms of LBD that cause cognitive symptoms — dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease dementia.
• LBD  causes a decline in mental abilities that gradually gets worse over time. 
• LBD typically begins at age 50 or older, although sometimes younger people may have it. 
• LBD appears to affect slightly more men than women.
• The disease lasts an average of five to seven years from the time of diagnosis to death, but it can range from two to 20 years.
• People with LBD might see things that aren’t there, known as visual hallucinations. 
• They also may have changes in alertness and attention.
• People with LBD commonly have symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.  These symptoms might include rigid muscles, slow movement, trouble walking and tremors.
• As the disease worsens, people with LBD require more and more help with daily activities due to a decline in thinking and movement abilities. 
• In the later stages of the disease, people may depend entirely on others for assistance and care.
• Treatment: 
  • There’s no cure for Lewy body dementia and no way to prevent it. 
  • But medications and therapies can help manage symptoms for a while.

Source: ET

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